Embarrassing question(s): How do I select an AF point on the A7II?

[animefx]

I just bought a used Sony A7II camera along with the Zeiss 55 1.8 lens and the close focus adapter to use with my Leica lenses.

So far I'm not very impressed to be honest but I'm still learning the system and experimenting.

I have a few questions though starting with the title. I've looked online and can't find a simple answer on how to select the AF points myself. Most say use C2 and the middle button but I'm confused with the terminology they are using. When I assign the buttons I'm not seeing anything to select my own AF point at all. Since I bought this camera used, the settings aren't on the defaults so I think my C3 or C2 brings up white balance instead. Is it easy to restore the default settings? I don't have the camera with me at the moment.

Another thing when I'm using the Leica lenses and using zoom assist... I'm not clear if it's actually stabilizing or not. I get a lot of motion blur still. The manual says that the shutter has to be half pressed but as soon as soon as I do that it goes out of the zoomed view and is extremely jarring btw. I want to be able to have the shutter half pressed while smart zooming and stay zoomed in until the photo is taken. Is this possible?

My other issue is with the colors. I've seen plenty of wonderful looking photos with this camera but the shots I've been taking have extremely over saturated greens and the reds seem slightly off. I'm trying to get natural looking greens and finding it difficult in Lightroom. I shoot raw of course. Normally I process my Leica M-E files with little effort.

 

[Vivek]

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I want to be able to have the shutter half pressed while smart zooming and stay zoomed in until the photo is taken. Is this possible?

No.

As for colors:

1. Ditch the close focus adapter. Vignetting (affects colors!) from adapter is minimal when you use a plain vanilla adapter.

2. Keep the WB at sunlight and adjust in the post (this also helps with the shutter lag).

3. You need to adjust colors depending on the lens (FL) you use when it isn't an FE lens.

I think it is possible to reset all the buttons to default. Better to go from there after a reset.

 

[iiiNelson]

It also helps or make PP faster if you shoot a color checker or white balance card before every series with a lens change. White balance is usually pretty quick to do though. There are 3 save spots you you can bounce between different environments and be near the correct balance if you don't trust the built in options.

 

[animefx]

Thanks for the suggestions Vivek. I was able to get good results using that white balance and a native 55 1.8 Zeiss lens. I'm pressed overall with the camera but might hold off for the A7R II or A9.

A7 II + Zeiss 55 1.8

No.

As for colors:

1. Ditch the close focus adapter. Vignetting (affects colors!) from adapter is minimal when you use a plain vanilla adapter.

2. Keep the WB at sunlight and adjust in the post (this also helps with the shutter lag).

3. You need to adjust colors depending on the lens (FL) you use when it isn't an FE lens.

I think it is possible to reset all the buttons to default. Better to go from there after a reset.

 

[mathomas]

This online guide is far superior to the printed manual, IMO:
Help Guide | Top
(it's still not fantastic, but I'm sure you'll discover a couple of tricks)

One thing about these cameras -- you have to dig through the menus to see what is possible. The menu system is much more complex than the Leica M series.

This video has a bunch of helpful setup info, including how to control the focus style and point:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APrti3EeUmE

Re IBIS. This may be overly basic, but be sure you've set the focal length for the lens you have mounted. That said, I haven't noticed that IBIS has as obvious an effect as ILS when looking through the viewfinder.

I think you're stuck with the way focus mag works. I keep hoping that Sony will release a firmware update that provides a picture-in-picture magnification view. I believe Fuji already does this.

Great photo, BTW!

 

[animefx]

Nice! This should be extremely helpful. I appreciate it.

The menus were a bit overwhelming so I should take the time to learn them before I pass final judgement on the camera.

This online guide is far superior to the printed manual, IMO:
Help Guide | Top
(it's still not fantastic, but I'm sure you'll discover a couple of tricks)

One thing about these cameras -- you have to dig through the menus to see what is possible. The menu system is much more complex than the Leica M series.

This video has a bunch of helpful setup info, including how to control the focus style and point:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APrti3EeUmE

Re IBIS. This may be overly basic, but be sure you've set the focal length for the lens you have mounted. That said, I haven't noticed that IBIS has as obvious an effect as ILS when looking through the viewfinder.

I think you're stuck with the way focus mag works. I keep hoping that Sony will release a firmware update that provides a picture-in-picture magnification view. I believe Fuji already does this.

Great photo, BTW!

 

[mathomas]

No problem. Oh, and I guess I should have mentioned that I have a video series on the A7II. It's not a tutorial, but I do talk about the things that I like and dislike. There's also video examples with a variety of lenses.

Here's the playlist.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiyOodRWDixNzEDgwS3YQvKy0HZixmmac

Certainly no camera is perfect. Seems to me, the M experience and the A7 experience are at opposite ends of the spectrum. The M is all about simplicity and "feel", and the A7 is all about technology. It's more obviously a computer. If you don't maximize your use of the technology of the A7 you probably won't be inspired by it, and won't particularly like it. Unfortunately, that requires digging through the (many and unorganized) menus and customizing the camera to your preferences, as you learn about it.

Obviously, that's just my opinion. For my part I'm pretty uninspired by digital cameras in general, but I do want the one that I'm using to be capable, and I find that the A7II, despite its warts, is very capable. Doesn't stop me from still wanting a Monochrom .

Oh, and regarding color shifts, I notice a huge color shift when I have my Voigtlander 35/1.4 SC mounted, and wide-open. I was doing some test shots and was astonished by the difference between f/1.4 and f/2.8. In my setup, wide-open produced overly warm color when wide-open. they were just test shots, so I haven't obsessed too much yet. I shoot both R-mount and M-mount and my expectation is for R-mount to be more compatible with the A7 series due to the design differences between SLR and RF lenses.